


And You Know I'm Yours

by castielanderson



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-04
Updated: 2012-09-04
Packaged: 2017-11-13 12:29:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/503554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castielanderson/pseuds/castielanderson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's homecoming, and Dean's the star quarterback with a secret boyfriend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And You Know I'm Yours

Cas feels his back slam into the locker, and he grins against Dean’s mouth.  Dean starts kissing him a little harder, and Cas grips Dean’s hair, pulling at it. Dean responds with a low growl, pulling his lips from Cas’ and kissing across his jaw and down his neck.  He stops right below the curve of Cas’ jaw, sucking at the stubble-dusted spot of skin.  Cas leans his head back, arching his back, letting out a string of gasping noises.

The door to the locker room opens, and immediately, Cas and Dean spring apart, trying to mask their heavy breathing and hoping their cheeks don’t look too flushed, their hair too mussed, and their lips too bruised.  Dean bends over his duffel bag, packing up his uniform, and Cas opens an empty locker, pretending he’s looking for something inside of it.  Dean’s coach walks by, completely lost in whatever’s running through his mind; he doesn’t pay them any attention.  Both of them breathe sighs of relief, quickly hurrying from the room.  They head out to Dean’s car, walking a good length apart.

“So,” Cas says, clearing his throat.  “How did practice go today?”

Dean shrugs.  “Fine, I guess.  Coach has been working us pretty hard – what with homecoming being this Friday and everything.”

Cas nods, and feels a thrill go through his chest.  He’s been looking forward to homecoming since he started dating Dean last spring.  Homecoming means wearing Dean’s jersey to school, and his letterman’s jacket the next Monday if they win.  Homecoming means cheering him on from the stands and possibly a congratulatory kiss on the field.  Homecoming means attending the dance together and spending the night with his head on Dean’s chest.  Homecoming means hopefully fucking in the back of Dean’s car if they’re not too tired.

Of course, that would only happen if Dean was more comfortable with being public about their relationship.  But he’s not, and they’ve been keeping things quiet for the past seven months.  Most of the school already assumes the two of them are dating; everyone’s known since freshman year that Dean wasn’t exclusively straight, but Dean’s not comfortable telling everyone, and Cas doesn’t want to push him. 

Still, Dean had promised for about half the summer that they’d be more open once school started.  Dean told his family, and Cas told his, and everyone was okay with it – as was their close group of friends.  Even the guys on the team (save for Lucifer, Alastair, and Azazel) who already suspect something are okay with it.  It’s only Dean that has the biggest problem.  And while Cas respects Dean’s decision and understands that it’s difficult, he’s been out and proud since eighth grade, and having his relationship with Dean kept in the dark is starting to hurt a little bit.  It makes it feel less meaningful, like Cas isn’t as important, and he knows it’s stupid, but he can’t help it.

“I’m sure you guys will manage to pull out a win,” Cas says, ignoring the rush of disappointment.  “You’ve been practicing hard and thoroughly the whole season.  I doubt you even have a chance of losing.”

Dean smiles, pulling out his keys as they reach his car.  “I hope so.  I don’t wanna have all of this extra work go to waste.”

“Even if you don’t win, I don’t think it will,” Cas says with a wink, and Dean blushes as he slides into the driver’s seat.  Cas follows him inside, watching him carefully.  “Dean?”

It takes Dean a few seconds to realize that Cas had said anything, and he quickly snaps his head over to look at Cas, blinking and saying, “I’m sorry – what?”

“Are you okay?” Cas asks, fighting a fond smile.

“I’m sorry,” Dean says, giving himself a shake.  “It’s just Friday is only five days away – well, really four, and Coach has been running into the ground, and then there’s all the extra shit I have to do because I’m the goddamn quarterback, and – “ Dean’s cut off as Castiel presses a soft kiss to his lips.

“Slow down,” he says, pulling away.  “You’re going to be fine, Dean.  Just don’t let the anxiety get the better of you.”

“You’re right,” Dean says, taking a deep breath.  “I just need to calm down.”

“And you know,” Cas says, “there are some things you won’t have to worry about – finding a date to the dance, for one.” 

Cas thinks that Dean catches his drift, but his reaction isn’t exactly what he had hoped for.  Dean just sort of gives a half-nod and bites his lip, saying nothing else.  Cas swallows hard and doesn’t press the subject.  He turns away from Dean, looking out the window as Dean pulls out of the parking lot.

He’s been trying to drop hints all weekend:  talking about what he’s going to wear on Friday, and waiting for Dean to suggest his jersey.  Telling Dean that he’s a great dancer when Dean had admitted how worried he was about the spotlight dance for the football team.  Wondering aloud who would win Homecoming Queen if Dean won King, and hoping that Dean would make some cheesy comment about how they could always have two Kings.

Dean’s hardly reacted at all to the effort Cas has put forward, and Cas suspects that he just might not be able to get through before Friday.  It’s a disappointing thought, and Cas quickly pushes it away, embracing the feeling he gets when Dean drops him off and kisses him goodbye.

_It’s just homecoming,_ Cas tells himself, but it’s not.  It’s more.  It’s so much more.

.

.

The next morning at school, Cas thinks about broaching the subject again.  He’ll just ask Dean if he’d like to go as friends specifically, and maybe when they’re actually at the dance together, things will just sort of fall into place.  Maybe if they win the game, Dean will feel comfortable enough to slow dance with him and kiss him softly when the song comes to an end.

Maybe, maybe not.

Dean’s at his locker swapping books out of his bag.  Cas bounds right up to him, smiling wide.

“Good morning,” he says, and Dean looks up, returning the grin.

“Hey,” Dean says brightly, “So I’ve got some news.”

“Oh?” Cas says, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Dean replies, shutting his locker and slinging his bag over his shoulder.  “I, uh – I just talked to Jo and she said she’d go to the homecoming dance with me.”

Cas blinks, utterly confused.  “What?” he leans forward, lowering his voice.  “What about me?  I thought we’d be going together – ?”

Dean looks around, a little panicked, making sure no one’s heard them.  “Cas, you know I don’t want to go public yet.  Going to do the dance with you would kind of defeat that purpose.”

Cas presses his lips together, fighting the urge to scream.  It doesn’t matter if he’s Dean’s boyfriend.  The thought of Dean attending the dance with someone else makes his skin crawl and his eyes twitch.  He feels something rage inside of his chest.

“Fine,” Cas says, jaw clenched as he nods tightly. 

Dean leans back, surprised.  “Cas - ?”

“I’m sorry,” Cas says with a huff.  “It’s just – I’m tired of it okay, Dean?  You told me that we could go public at the start of the school year, and now you’re going to the homecoming dance with Jo, and I’m sorry Dean, but I’m starting to feel less and less important to you.”

“Cas,” Dean says again, still shocked.  He lowers the volume again, talking in a near-whisper.  “Cas, of course you’re important to me, but I’m – I’m just not ready.  Can you give me until the end of the football season, at least?  Just so I don’t have to deal with the guys.”

Cas sighs, looking away from him for a second.  “Look, Dean, I know it’s nerve-wracking, but you trust me, right?  So, I’ll be completely honest – no one cares.  Most everyone in this school knows you’re bisexual, and that we’re dating, even if we’re not obvious about either.”

“But Lucifer and – “

“And Azazel and Alastair don’t mean anything,” Cas cuts in.  “Everybody knows they aren’t exactly nice people, Dean.  They’re not worth anything.”

“Well they are to me,” Dean grumbles, almost a little sharp.

Cas raises his eyebrows at that, taking a complete step back.  “They mean more to you than me?” he asks.  “The invalid opinions of three less than worthy jackasses means more to you than our relationship?”

“No,” Dean says quickly, holding up his hands in a stop motion.  “Cas, that’s not – “

Cas presses his lips together, nodding.  “No, it’s fine, Dean.  Honestly, don’t try to turn everything around – it’s all clear to me.”

“Cas – “

Cas isn’t sure what overcomes him next.  He’s not sure why he does what he does, but he’s too fed up, too angry and upset to think straight.  All he knows is that he’s entirely too irritated with Dean and his stupid obsession with being the stereotypical quarterback.  By this point, he’s nearly questioning why he even loves Dean in the first place.

“Why – why don’t we take a break for awhile, then?” Cas asks.  “We’ll let you figure out what you need to, and if you still care, we can look into being together again.  Until then – good day, Dean Winchester.  Say hello to Jo for me.”

He turns on his heel, walking swiftly away from Dean.  Tears sting his eyes, but he fights them until he rounds the corner.  He rushes into the nearest bathroom, locking himself in the first open stall, and collapsing onto the toilet seat, not even trying to hold back the sobs.

What had he just done?

.

.

Dean approaches his usual lunch table to find that Cas isn’t there.  After a quick look around the cafeteria, he spots Cas sitting alone along the far wall, not even eating.  Dean’s appetite deteriorates as he sits down, and he uses his fork to play with his food, taking one or two bites until he pushes the tray away, nauseous.

“Okay, what’s going on?”

Dean looks up to find Jo looking at him seriously, her eyebrows raised.

“What?” Dean asks, trying and failing to play dumb.

“Why is Cas sitting by himself on the other side of the room with no food, and why do you look like you’re about to throw up?”

Dean looks down at the table, twisting his fingers nervously together.  Quietly he says, “Um – we – we sort of had a fight, and he – he broke up with me.”

Jo sighs, a little less than sympathetic.  “What did you do?”

“Me?” Dean asks incredulously, lifting his head.  “Why do you assume it was me?”

“’Cause you’re the bigger idiot,” Jo replies matter-of-factly.  “So?  What’d you do?”

Dean sighs heavily.   “I told Cas that I was taking you to homecoming.”

Jo widens her eyes.  “Dean, you – did you even discuss this with him _before_ asking me?”

Dean looks sheepish.  “Was I supposed to?”

Jo rolls her eyes before saying, “Of course you were, you moron!”  She reaches across the table, smacking him on the arm. 

Dean pulls back, muttering, “Ouch,” and rubbing at the spot.  “God, Jo – I’m sorry.”

“Uh – don’t tell me that.  Tell Cas,” Jo says, holding up her hands.

“I can’t,” Dean says, looking miserable again.  “He won’t talk to me.  I tried approaching him in World History and he gave me the cold shoulder.  He’s really pissed.  I mean, it’s not just the homecoming thing – I promised him we’d go public when this year started and I haven’t exactly followed up on that.”

Jo shakes her head, closing her eyes for a second.  “Dean, you idiot.  He probably thinks you don’t even care about him.”

“I know,” Dean says, biting his lip.  “He told me he did.”

“And what did you say?” Jo asks.

“I told him that of course I cared about him, but I was too worried about what the guys on the team would say.”  As soon as he hears himself say it, Dean groans, putting his face in his hands.  “Jo, I’m an idiot,” he mumbles into his fingers.

Jo laughs.  “I know, Dean.”

Dean rubs at his face before pulling his hands down.  “Jo?” he asks quietly.

“Yeah?”

“Will you help me get him back?”

Jo heaves a deep sigh.  “Oh, I suppose.”

Dean grins.  “Thanks.  You’re the best.”

Jo grins back.  “I know.”

.

.

Anna knocks on Castiel’s door for what seems like the eight-hundredth time, and Cas just pulls the covers over his head, praying that she’ll leave.

She doesn’t. 

Cas hears the door crack open, Anna’s footsteps following soon after.  He buries his face further into his pillow, holding back a groan.  After a minute or so, Cas feels a weight sink into the bed near his feet, and he knows he’s not getting out of this conversation.

“Cas you’ve been in here for hours.  You missed dinner, and you’ve refused to come out.  What’s going on?”

Cas lifts his head up, just enough to get out, “I don’t want to talk about it, Anna.”

“Cas, you sound awful,” Anna says, resting a hand carefully on his leg.  “Are you sick?”

Cas feels like it.  He’s been crying for so long he thinks he might have a permanent headache.  Slowly, Cas rolls over, pushing himself up.  Anna’s eyes go wide when she gets a look at him – red nose and puffy eyes.

“Oh, Cas,” she says sympathetically.  “What happened?”

He takes a deep breath, glancing down at his lap.  “I broke up with Dean.”

“Why?” Anna asks, evidently confused. 

Just his past weekend, Dean had been over at the Milton’s home.  As usually, he’d charmed everyone in Cas’ family.  He’d talked about football with Gabe and literature with Anna.  Everyone loved Dean, and everyone had been so happy when he and Cas had first started dating.  Gabe had even made a joke Saturday night about one of them just proposing already.

Cas knows why he broke up with Dean, what pushed him over the edge, but after thinking about it, he can’t even blame this one on Dean. 

“Because I’m stupid,” Cas says quietly, and his lip quivers.  “Because I’m absolutely selfish and was jealous when I had no right to be.”  A little hiccup escapes his lip, and Cas has to press a hand to his mouth to keep from sobbing again. 

Anna reaches forward, pulling Cas into a tight hug.  “Aww, Cas – don’t say that.  I’m sure you were reasonable.”

“I wasn’t, Anna,” Cas says, pressing his lips tightly together.  He rests his head on Anna’s shoulder briefly, trying to remember how to breathe.  Anna rubs his back, pressing her cheek against her brother’s head. 

“You can talk to me if you want,” she says softly.  “I know you said you didn’t, but it’s better to get things out than hold them in.”

Cas pulls away slowly, breathing deep.  “I _am_ selfish, Anna.  I really am.  With homecoming this Friday, I just wanted the chance to be shown off as Dean’s boyfriend.  I wanted to wear his jersey and slow dance with him after the game, and generally enjoy the perks of being an open couple, but he’s not ready.  He’s too worried about what other people will say, and I’m supposed to understand that and be there for him, but I got angry.”

Anna lays a hand on Cas’ forearm, smiling sadly.  “Oh, Cas – that’s completely understandable.  When you’re in a relationship, a little bit of PDA is always satisfying, and in some cases – really healthy for the relationship.  You shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting that.”

“But Dean isn’t ready,” Cas protests.  “And I got upset with him for that.”

“Well, it has been quite awhile, Cas,” Anna points out.  “Have you tried talking to him before this?”

Cas nods.  “Over the summer.  He promised me that we’d go public once the school year started.”

“See?” Anna says, cupping Castiel’s face.  “You had every right to be upset.”

“But I didn’t need to anything that drastic,” Cas sighs, looking away from her.  “Anna, I’m so stupid.”

“Oh, calm down,” Anna says, smiling slightly as she pinches Cas’ cheek.  “You two will figure this all out.  It’s not the end of the world.”

“You sure about that?”

Both Anna and Cas look over at the doorway, where Gabriel stands, a smile on his face.  However, as soon as he sees Castiel’s expression, he stops, instantly worried and sympathetic.

“Cas, what happened?”

“He and Dean hit a rough patch,” Anna answers for him.

“Do I need to kick his ass?” Gabriel asks, and Cas shakes his head.

“It’s my fault,” Cas says quietly, but Anna protests.

“Not entirely,” she corrects, and Cas doesn’t have the heart to argue. 

He looks up at his siblings, eyelids heavy and head pounding.  He’s tired; bone-deep, achingly tired, and he’d really like for them to leave and let him get _some_ homework done before he crashes.

“Thank you for listening, but I really should get started on my schoolwork,” he says, but neither of them move.  “I’ll be fine,” he adds, urging them with his eyes to leave.

“Well,” Anna says, taking the hint and standing up.  “Don’t be afraid to talk to me, Cas.  I’m always here.”

“Me too,” Gabriel says, and Anna shakes her head.

“Gabriel, don’t even try to get involved.”

“What?” Gabriel asks, holding out his arms.  “I’m great at giving advice.”

“Yeah, because bleaching my hair in order to impress Kyle Goodson was the greatest idea you’ve ever had.  It wasn’t like my hair was nearly destroyed, and I was forced to wear it in a pixie cut for the rest of the year.”

“Okay, that was just a fluke,” Gabriel says defensively.

“What about the time you told me to lie about my age to Jason Wells and we nearly got him charged with sexual harassment.”

“It’s not my fault you couldn’t keep your panties on,” Gabriel mumbles turning around and leaving.  Anna follows after him, bickering as they go, and watching them, Cas feels some of the tension leave his shoulders.

Anna’s right.  He and Dean will fix this; they always do.

.

.

Throughout the rest of the week, Cas thinks about apologizing to Dean.  He works up the courage and practices what he’ll say, but then he sees Dean – sees him walking with Jo, talking with Jo, laughing with Jo, and he just gets angry.  Cas turns his back on them, heading in the opposite direction.

Dean does try to talk to him a few times, but eventually gives up, and Cas isn’t complaining.  He’s not ready to face Dean, not sure what will come out of his mouth if he talks to Dean before he’s ready and in control of himself.

Wednesday and Thursday drag on as the two of them dance around each other, trying to communicate but then backing down.  Friday comes, only intensifying what’s wrong between them, and it’s agonizing. 

Homecoming is a big deal at Lawrence High.  Nobody goes to class, and most everyone is in high school spirits – except for Cas.  He spends the day outside in the back courtyard, skipping out on the games and fun.  He watches the football players and cheerleaders from afar, trying to ignore the way his stomach is churning.  During lunch, a few girls walk past him wearing the jerseys of their boyfriends, and Cas actually has to get up and leave.  He goes out to his car and locks himself inside, caught between want to cry and wanting to vomit.  He ends up hyperventilating instead.

It’s during last hour when Jo approaches him.  He’s sitting at a picnic table, attempting to finish some of his homework.  As soon as he sees her, Cas feels a small sting of anger, but it’s _Jo_.  She and Cas have been friends since freshman year, and somewhere deep down, Cas knows that she’s not trying to steal his boyfriend.  She’s only going with Dean as a cover for his real relationship, or what _was_ his relationship.

“I haven’t seen you all day,” Jo says, sitting down next across from him.  “How are you doing?”

“Fine,” Cas replies, his voice icy.

“I’m not going to the dance with Dean, you know,” Jo says, and Cas looks up, surprised.

“Why not?” he asks.

“Because I didn’t think it’d be fair to you,” Jo says.  “I know you guys are going through a rough time, and I didn’t want to make it any worse.”

“Well, thank you,” Cas says with a sigh, “but I’m afraid that won’t fix things.”

“I know,” Jo says.  It’s quiet for a minute before she speaks again, looking at Cas seriously.  “Okay, look, Cas – I know you’re upset, and I’m sure homecoming sounds like the worst thing to you right now, but I really want you to go to the game with me tonight.”

“Jo – “ Cas whines.

“I’m not going to make you talk to Dean or anything,” Jo assures.  “I promise.  I just don’t want you to miss out because you’re stuck at home, moping.  I want you to have some fun, okay?”

Cas sighs.

“Please, Cas?” Jo says, folding her hands together.  “You’re not going to make yourself feel better by missing out on this.  Forcing yourself to stay home and avoid Dean at all costs is just going to make you feel worse.”

He still says nothing.

“Cas?” Jo prods.  “Come on, Cas – please.  I’m not going to stop bugging you until you say yes.  And if you ignore me and leave right now, I’ll still show up at your house tonight and physically drag you to the game.”

“Alright, fine,” Cas says, caving.  “I’ll attend the game with you, but I will not talk to Dean.”

“I already said you wouldn’t have to,” Jo says.  “I’m doing this for you, Cas.  Entirely for you.  Your relationship with Dean isn’t any of my business, and I’m just going to leave that to the two of you.”

“Good,” Cas says.  “Because I won’t be afraid to set Gabriel on you.”

“Oh, please,” Jo says, waving a hand.  “I could totally take him.”

Cas laughs, honestly laughs, and it feels good.  Maybe tonight won’t be so bad after all.

.

.

Dean paces around nervously, his helmet tucked underneath his armpit.  At last, his phone vibrates, and it’s Jo, telling Dean that she’s just spotted Cas walking towards the bleachers.  He breathes a small sigh of relief and tells her thank you again. 

Chucking his phone in his locker, Dean tries to focus his attention on the game.  He can’t afford to be distracted tonight, no matter how much he wants Cas back.  He has to stop thinking about, stop worrying.  He has to get his mind set on football – on all the plays they’ve practiced and the best ones to use once he gets out there.  Dean shoves his helmet on, joining the rest of the guys as they sit around on the benches, meditating before show time.

A minute after Dean sits down, he feels a hand clamp down on his shoulder, and he looks up to see Ash.

“How you holding up?” he asks, taking the spot next to Dean.

“Not that great,” Dean admits.

“Man, you need to relax,” Ash says with a laugh.  “Jo and Lisa have this all under control – take a breath.”

“I know,” Dean says, heaving a sigh.  “I just – I really hope Cas forgives me.

“Oh, he will,” Ash says, confident.  “Once he sees everything you’ve put together – there’s no way he’ll reject you.  Well, I mean, I suppose he could, but it’s highly unlikely.”

“Ash?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

“Sorry.”

.

.

The crowd is completely alive, standing up and swaying along with the roar of the band.  Cas ducks his head, keeping his hand in his pockets as he trudges across the bleachers.  He’d rather be anywhere else right now, but as Jo wouldn’t take no for answer, he really had no choice. 

“Cas!  Cas, look over here!”

He catches Jo’s eyes, just a few benches upward.  She’s sitting by herself, Garth and Pamela just behind her.  Holding back the urge to glare at them all, Cas treks up the stairs, sliding in right next to Jo, who drapes an arm over his shoulder.

“You’re not still mad at me, are you?” she asks, and the sincere worry in her voice, Cas feels himself relax.

“No,” he says, and he isn’t.  He can’t blame her for anything that’s happened.  It’s between him and Dean, and right now she’s only trying to cheer him up.

“Well, come on then,” Jo says with a grin.  “Relax, Cas.  Have fun.”

Cas presses his lips together and heaves a sigh.  “I’m not sure how well that would go over.”

“Alright,” Jo says, leaning close to him.  “Stop worrying about Dean, Cas.  I have a feeling you two will get over this soon enough, so just try to enjoy yourself, okay?”

Cas groans, but submits.  If it gets Jo off his back, he’ll try.  It has kind of been awful, holding in all of his sadness and anger.  He can try to ignore everything for a few hours.  Maybe being here with his friends, cheering on the football team and goofing around will help him take his mind of things.  Cas squares his shoulders, ceasing the moping and hyping himself up for the game.

His newfound sense of hope lasts about a minute, because soon enough, they’re calling the players onto the field and the announcer is calling out, “Number 32, quarterback, Dean Winchester,” and Cas feels nauseous as his now _ex-_ boyfriend bolts out across the grass.  He feels Jo’s eyes on him, and does his best not to look upset.

After the other team announces their players, the cheerleaders do three short cheers and then the game begins.  Cas watches, heart slowly shattering as Dean carries the team, calling orders and giving directions.  Ten minutes in, he throws a pass that ends up being the first touchdown, and Cas feels a little thrill of pride before the disappointment settles again.

The first quarter comes to an end with the game tied, and the crowd slowly relaxes.  About half of the bleachers leave, heading to the concessions or bathrooms.  Jo turns to Cas, pulling her wallet from her jacket. 

“I’m going to get something to drink.  Do you want anything?”

Cas shakes his head.

“Hey,” Jo says, reaching out and putting her hand under Cas’ chin.  “Smile, Cas.  You’ll get nowhere if you keep frowning like that.”

Cas tries, forcing a grin just to please her.

“That’s my boy,” Jo says, pleased as she ruffles Cas’ hair.

Cas watches her go, heaving a deep breath.  The field is empty now, and Cas finds himself wondering how Dean’s doing in the locker room – the place that they nearly got caught making out in just a few days ago.  He wonders if Dean feels just as broken as he does, just as lost and confused.  Probably not; he seems to be playing just fine, completely unaffected, and while that helps ease some of the guilt, it also only intensifies the problem that started all of this – that Cas wasn’t ever good enough for Dean, that Dean really didn’t care about him as much as he thought.

Cas leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and his chin in his hands.  Only a quarter of the way in, and Cas is wishing he could leave, wishing he could just disappear.  It was an awful idea to come tonight.  He knew he should have just stayed home.  Maybe moping isn’t healthy, but it feels a lot better than having his heart stabbed at repeatedly as he watches Dean tear across the football field, seemingly unfazed by what’s happened between them.

Jo returns quickly with a bottle of Diet Coke and a mug of something that’s steaming.  She hands it to Cas, smiling.

“I know you said you didn’t want anything, but when I’m upset or sick, I always go straight for hot chocolate, so I brought you some.”

A genuine smile graces Cas’ face as he takes the mug and brings it up to his lips, taking a small, careful sip.  It does help; the heat seems to ease some of the tension for his body, and Cas’ feels a little better.

“Thank you, Jo,” he says quietly as she sits down next to him.

“No problem,” she replies, popping open her bottle of soda.

They sit in a comfortable silence until the next quarter starts.  Cas doesn’t really want to stand up, but everyone else around him does, so he pushes himself upward, bracing himself.  Again, Dean’s the first one out on the field, fisting pumping the air as the crowd cheers.  A lump forms in Cas’ throat, and he swallows hard, pushing it back.

The game goes right back into gear, Dean performing spectacularly well.  He throws another pass that gets them a touchdown, and prevents the other team from scoring at the last second with an incredible tackle. 

It’s the last thirty seconds, third down, and Lawrence has the ball.  Cas’ is on the edge of his seat, fingers crossed that Dean will get this and put them in a good position for half time.  Cas hears the shouts, and then everyone moves.  Dean fakes a pass, hands off the ball, and goes running.  The ball comes hurtling toward him, and Dean catches it with ease, turning around and sprinting towards the end of the field.  He checks over his shoulder just in time to see one of the other time gaining speed.  Dean throws himself forward through the last yard.

The crowd explodes, and then, in near slow-motion, the atmosphere changes instantaneously.  The person who had been sprinting after Dean has crashed on top of him, burying him in the ground.  It’s suddenly silent; the only sound is people gasping.   Cas’ hands fly up to cover his mouth.  He feels like he’s forgotten how to breathe as referees and coaches rush out onto the field.

The opposite team member is fine, but Dean doesn’t get up quite as quickly.  He stays down, and everyone watches in anticipation as the school nurse and physical trainer come rushing to his side with a first aid kit.

Too many minutes pass, and Cas has to sit down for fear of passing out.  He puts his face in his hands, only daring to watch through his fingers.  He feels Jo’s hand on his shoulder, steadying him and holding him together.  Any anger Cas had still been harboring has disappeared, and right now, he’s about ready to be sick with anxiety.  If Dean’s hurt, he – he doesn’t even want to think about how awful he’ll feel.

Soon, five minutes become ten, become fifteen, and Cas is now fighting off tears of frustration and panic.  His fingers are wrapped tightly around Jo’s as he holds onto her hand for dear life.  The crowd is absolutely silent, everyone holding their breath as the nurse grabs something from the first aid kit. 

Cas looks away, not even wanting to know. 

However, a second later, he stops worrying, because the crowd erupts into cheers.  Cas’ head snaps up, and he watches as the nurse and trainer pull Dean up.  He’s steady on his feet, and he gives the crowd thumbs up as he walks slowly off the field.  The only thing Cas notices wrong is that Dean’s holding an ice pack to his head.  Cas has to take a second to remind himself that if Dean had a concussion, he wouldn’t be walking, and then at last, he’s breathing normally again, a feeling of relief settling over him.

The two teams disperse as the band starts playing again, signaling the start of half time.  Dean is the only player that stays on the field, talking with coach for a few minutes.  Cas contemplates running down there, going up to the edge of the fence and trying to get Dean’s attention, just so he can make sure that Dean’s really okay.

As everyone else relaxes again, Cas refuses to take his eyes off Dean.  He watches every movement, still checking for anything wrong.  After Dean’s done talking with his coach, he heads for the cheerleaders, and now Cas is thoroughly confused, because he seems to be talking with Lisa.  He doesn’t think Dean’s flirting – there’s no cocky smile, no showing off, just general conversation.  But then Lisa says something, and Dean smiles, mouthing what Cas thinks is a thank you.

Thoroughly perplexed, Cas turns towards Jo, only to see that she’s trying to hold back a huge smile. 

“Jo – “

“Shh,” she hisses.  “Just wait, Cas.”

Still unsure, Cas turns his attention back to the field.  Dean is now making his way out to the center of the field, the cheerleaders following him.  The ice pack has disappeared, and instead, he’s now holding a portable microphone.   He clicks it on with a screech, holding it up to his mouth saying, “testing, testing – okay!”

He turns back for a second, saying something to Lisa, and then nodding, goes back to the microphone.

“Hey, guys,” he says, grinning.  “Sorry for the scare.  I’m fine – just had the wind knocked out of me, and my helmet kind of dug into my temple, but other than that, I’m good.  Um – anyway, I have something special I really wanted to do.  Something special, for _someone_ special.”

Immediately, Cas feels the blood drain from his face. 

“So, I’m sure you guys noticed all of the girlfriends of my teammates wearing jerseys today – that’s kind of the tradition, and I know some of you guys who are really into what’s going or whatever noticed that nobody wore mine.”  Dean looks around the crowd briefly, and Cas knows that he’s trying to find him.  “Well, someone should have.  Except – we got into a big fight this week, because I’m a moron and didn’t want him to.  Yes, I did just say ‘him.’” 

The crowd starts to buzz, adding to the ring in Cas’ ears.  He can feels heads turning towards him, and tries his best to ignore it.

“I really, really care about this guy, but I screwed up.  So, with the help of my best friend Jo Harvelle, Lisa Braeden and the rest of Lawrence High’s cheerleaders, and the homecoming coordinating committee, I put something together for him.” 

Dean clicks off the microphone, backing up and letting the cheerleaders take over the field.  The first chord of “Buddy Holly” starts playing, and Cas feels the breath leave his chest.  The girls are dancing, strutting around, and doing intricate tricks, but Cas’ mind is far from the field. 

As the lyrics drift out of the speakers _(ooh, wee, ooh, I look just like Buddy Holly / Oh, oh, and you’re Mary Tyler Moore / I don’t care what they say about us anyway / I don’t care about that),_ his mind is flashing back, remembering their first kiss, sitting inside Dean’s car right after their first date, this song coming out of the speakers.  Cas can’t help but think that now the lyrics finally mean something.

_I don’t care what they say about us anyway._

_I don’t care ‘bout that._

Dean’s too far away for Cas to meet his eyes, but for a second, he feels like he’s looking right into them.

The song comes to an end, and the cheerleaders finish with one last, amazing stunt.  The microphone switches on again, and Cas’ eyes never leave Dean as he finishes his speech.

 “Cas, I’m really sorry, okay?  It was stupid of me to make us hide everything while everyone else on the team gets to show off their relationships.  I mean – hell, just look at Alistair and Meg.”

Cas almost laughs.  He knows Dean’s subtly making fun of them and the fact that everyone knew they were shoe-ins for homecoming king and queen.  He also feels proud, knowing that previously, Alistair was one of the guys Dean was worried about impressing, and now he’s casually poking fun at him.

“So, Cas, I have a proposition for you.  I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s a dance after the game.  A dance where all of the footballs with girlfriends, or _boyfriends_ , have to slow dance in front of everyone.  I suck at dancing, so would you care to show me how?”

There’s a few whoops and hollers and then Jo’s pushing Cas out into the aisle.  He looks around at everyone nervously before hurrying down the bleachers and moving up to the fence.  Lisa rushes forward and helps him climb over, and then leads him to Dean.

“Will you?” Dean asks, holding the microphone up to Cas.

Cas laughs nervously before saying, “Of course.”

Dean shuts off the microphone before pulling Cas into a hug.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers.  “Cas, I was so stupid.”

Cas pulls away, staring Dean straight in the eye.  “No you weren’t,” he says.  “I was selfish.”  He leans forward before Dean can say another word and kisses him roughly.  The sound of more cheers reminds them that they aren’t exactly in the janitor’s closet between periods.

They pull apart, blushing furiously, and then collapse into laughter, arms still around each other.

“Well,” Dean says, smiling wide.  “I kind of have a game to finish, but I’ll see you afterward, and I’ll try not to step on your feet.”

“Thank you,” Cas says, “I appreciate it.”

Dean kisses him one more time for good luck, and then he’s running over to the bench where his teammates are sitting, eyes on the cheerleaders.  Dazed and delirious, Cas makes his way back to his seat, very aware of the people watching him. 

When he reaches Jo, he barely has time to say, “You set me up,” before she pulls him into a bone-crushing hug. 

When she pulls away, she’s smiling.  “I sure did.”

.

.

Dean’s freshly showered, dressed in a nice pair of jeans and his letterman’s jacket when he enters the dance.  Spirits are high, right off the not-so-surprising victory, which included Dean throwing the winning pass to Ash.

Cas is currently dancing with Jo, listening to one of her many stories about Dean.  This time it’s about how Jo had to practically drag Dean around by his ear this week, and how she’s the one who pulled the idea of the cheerleading dance from him.  She’s halfway through a sentence when she stops, staring at something behind Cas.   He turns immediately, stomach doing a flip-flop when he sees Dean coming for them, hands in his pockets.

“Excuse me, Jo,” he says, “but I do believe Cas promised he’d dance with _me_.”

Jo takes a step back, allowing Dean to take her place.  Cas drapes his arms around Dean’s neck, and Dean slides his arms around Cas’ waist, pulling him close. 

“Congratulations,” Cas says, grinning.  “You managed a really spectacular win.”

“Couldn’t have done it without your support,” Dean replies smoothly.  “And I didn’t mean to put on the spot or anything at half time, I just wanted you to know how sorry I was.”

Cas shakes his head.  “Oh, no – it’s fine Dean.  I, uh – I really appreciated all that trouble you went to.  It was very kind of you.”

Dean smiles, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to Castiel’s lips.  It’s almost a rush now to get to do this in public.  Cas feels blood rush up to his cheeks, eyelids fluttering shut for just a second as he kisses back.  When Dean pulls back, he presses their foreheads together, breathing, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Cas replies, just as breathless.

They’re jerked out of the sweet moment by someone coming over the speakers. 

“Alright, Lawrence High – it’s time for everyone to clear the dancefloor and leave some space for this year’s victorious football team, and the partners of their choosing.”

Dean and Cas don’t even move.  They part just a little, looking at each other and smiling.  Slowly, the dancefloor fills.  They look around, spotting the familiar faces and couples – Pamela and Ash, Meg and Alistair, Lucifer and Bela.  Jo sits by herself on the sidelines, eyes on Dean and Cas as she grins, evidently pleased with the fact she had a hand in getting them back together.

The lights dim down, bathing the room in a glow of blue and purple, and the song starts up, slow and soft.  Dean and Cas turn back to each other, staring straight into each other’s eyes.  They don’t really dance, but sway to the music, arms tight around each other.

“So,” Cas says quietly.  “How did everyone on the team take it?”

“Good,” Dean says with a shrug.  “Most of them congratulated me, there was just the few – “

“Lucifer, Alistair, and Azazel?” Cas asks.

Dean nods.  “And a few more.  They had some words with Coach, but you know, they can’t really kick off their star player just because he’s bi; that would be really stupid.”

Cas chuckles.  “They’re just jealous they don’t get as much action.”

Dean laughs.  “No, but you’re right,” he says, leaning forward and lowering his voice.   “Apparently Meg’s a bitch when it comes to putting out.   She uses it as some hold over Alastair.  I heard them talking about it the other day.”

Cas laughs harder, scrunching up his face, and Dean snickers with him.  After a moment, Cas sighs, just looking at Dean.  His eyes are so bright, alive with happiness, and Cas knows his own must be too.  The music seems to seep into them now, removing any tension in their bodies.  Cas feels his smile weaken, and it’s almost instinct now as he leans his head forward, resting it on Dean’s chest.  Cas closes his eyes, listening to Dean’s heartbeat.  After a few seconds, Dean leans forward as well, pressing a kiss to the top of Castiel’s head.  They finish the song in silence, simply enjoying the feeling of being pressed up against each other.

As the song comes to a close, other students rush back out to the dancefloor.  Cas half expects Jo to come up to them, but she doesn’t.  She lets them be, spending time talking with Pamela and Ash.  At one point, Cas catches her eye, and she smiles at him.  He returns the smile before resting his head on Dean’s chest again.

Eventually, the two of them grow tired of the dancefloor, of the people around them, of the newfound joy in PDA.  When a more upbeat song switches on, Dean pulls away slightly, leaning down to talk in Cas’ ear.

“I kind of want to get going.  What about you?”

Cas nods, agreeing, and Dean grins a little mischievously.

“Good,” he says.  “Because I’d like to do something that’s not really fit for public viewing.”

Cas swallows hard, immediately blushing.  “Well, your car’s right out front isn’t it?”

“Mmhmm,” Dean mumbles, moving in for a kiss.  “You think it’s dark enough outside for us to not get caught?”

Cas kisses him back fiercely.  “I certainly hope so.”

Reaching down to entwine their fingers, Dean begins leading him out the door, and thankfully, it’s perfectly dark enough.  

.

.

It’s nearly midnight, and Dean’s really glad his father has to work early in the morning, otherwise he’d be up late, waiting for Dean to come home.  And then Dean would be scolded for breaking curfew and banned from seeing Cas for a week or two.

Currently, Dean and Cas have parked on the side of some dirt road near Cas’ neighborhood.  The sky is clear tonight, stars sparkling overhead.  They’re stretched out on the hood of Dean’s impala, staring at them.  Every so often, they speak, sharing quick, three-sentence long conversations.

The night is growing old, and they’re running out of things to say, but it doesn’t matter.  This week has been too stressful, too hard on both of them, and it’s just nice to be around each other again – to be happy and in love.

As a breeze picks up, rustling over them, Cas curls into Dean’s side, shivering slightly. 

“You cold?” Dean asks, though the answer’s extremely obvious.  He doesn’t even wait for it, but sits up and begins shrugging out of his letterman’s jacket.  “Here,” he says, holding it out to Cas.

Carefully, Cas takes it, turning it over in his hands.

“What?” Dean asks.

“Nothing,” Cas says, shaking his head.  “It’s just – you’ve never let me wear it.  Other jackets or sweatshirts, sure, but your _letterman’s_ jacket?”

“Oh, you’re wearing it,” Dean says, almost commanding Cas.  “Not just tonight, but on Monday too.  Everyone else’s girlfriends are going to wear them, and so is my boyfriend.”

Cas smiles shyly, hurrying to put it on.  It’s way too big for him, hanging loosely on his frame.  The shoulders are too broad, the arms just a bit too long, but Dean loves it.

“So?” Cas asks, waiting for Dean to say something.

“You look great,” Dean says, and he presses a quick kiss to Castiel’s cheek.  “And I’m sure you’ll look even better on Monday.”

Cas doesn’t say anything.   Instead, he leans against Dean and rests his head on Dean’s shoulder.  In turn, Dean reaches out and wraps his arm around Castiel’s waist.  They lie back down, eyes going right to the stars again.

The night is growing old, and both of them are exhausted, but a few more minutes together won’t hurt anybody.


End file.
